Lesson For The Day

Do not, I repeat, do not drink Diet Dr Pepper with a Hall's honey and lemon cough drop in your mouth.

You will regret it.  Trust me on this.

And that, folks, was the highlight of my day.  We had to work late, so I didn't get to go turn my cable boxes in.  Then, I came home to a giant pile of dog poo in the living room floor. 

Squeaky, because of her age, tries to use the litterbox, but sometimes misses.  OK, all the time misses.  I don't know if it's because she can't squat as well any more, or what.  She'll squat in the box, and pee over the edge.  A few weeks ago, I started buying those puppy training pads to put under her litterbox, to absorb the overflow.  It works a charm.  Instead of all that mopping, I just fold the pad up and toss it. 

After I cleaned up the dog poo, I put a pad where it was.  That's not the first time I've found poo in that spot.  Maybe this will help.  I can't really blame the dogs.  It's a lot to ask of them to hold it for so long. 

Good news!  My DNA sample safely made it to the Ancestry labs.  Now we wait...

I Did It

I've been talking about it for at least a year, but today, I finally did it.

I dragged all that heavy furniture out from the wall and unhooked my cable boxes.  Tomorrow after work, I'm going to take them back to the cable company and have them cut off my TV service.

I debated for a long time about whether to go with Sling or Hulu as an alternative.  I pulled up both websites and compared channel listings, and went back and forth for a long time.  What finally tipped the scales for Hulu was they have more local affiliates, more sports channels -- including CBS Sports Network, which Sling does not have (for my market) and which shows all the Navy games, and I already have an account with them.

Cost was not a consideration, since the Sling package with the same number of channels as the Hulu upgrade was the same price.  Both of them are cheaper than cable anyway.  If I don't like it, I have a week to change my mind, however, after scrolling through the channels and seeing what I have, I don't think that'll happen.

The only drawback is I've been using my cable remote to control my TV for so long, I don't know where my TV remote is.  Or if I even still have it.  I guess after I turn in my boxes tomorrow, I'll have to run to Walmart and pick up a universal remote.

Or I could just trudge all the way across my living room to turn my TV on and off by hand.

You remember I mentioned yesterday I had a long list of things I wanted to do this weekend?  I'm happy to say, I got every thing on that list accomplished.  Most of it was mundane stuff like mowing, laundry, and cleaning my bathroom.  Unhooking the cable boxes was also on the list.  The final thing on that list, which I accomplished just a few moments ago was to get this shelf put together.

I'd ordered it way back in January, and it's been sitting in the box ever since it got here.  It will eventually be moved out into my shop.  Once all those snakes start going to that great herpetarium in the sky,  I'll get rid of all those tanks and stands, then get some nicer looking cabinets to put into that room to store my craft stuff in.

That room was clean once, but the last few months, it's kind of exploded into a junky mess.  Now, I can start putting some of the stuff on that shelf, and at least get the floor clean -- well, cleaner.   I still need to move all my painting supplies back out into the shop, and that'll help a whole lot. 

When I first moved into this house, I needed some curtains or something to hang in my bedroom window.  I ran out and got a simple black set, just to have something covering the window, so I could sleep in that room.  After I bought the final set of curtains for my room, I moved them to Cody's room.

A few months ago, when I found the curtains I wanted for Cody's room, the plan was to hang the black ones in the snake/craft/computer room.  Alas, they've been wadded up laying in the floor ever since.  While I was in there picking stuff up, I said to myself, "Might as well get those curtains hung."  And that's exactly what I did.

Almost immediately, I felt the temperature drop in that room. Plus, it just looks so much neater.  While I was up on the ladder, that's when I realized this room doesn't have any crown molding in it either.  But, since this isn't a room that anyone is going to spend a whole lot of time in, I'm not going to worry about it any time soon. 

And yes, that is a pair of hand knit socks drying on the snake tank. 

What can I say?  That's just who I am.

A Weekend

So, here I sit, on what -- if scuttlebutt around the plant is true -- will be my last Saturday off for a long, long time.  I made myself a long list of things I wanted to get done today, and was determined not to sit around watching TV all day.  I think I did OK.  I didn't get everything done, but I made pretty good progress. 

First order of business was to spit in my little tube and get my AncestryDNA test into the mail.  Now, we wait 6 to 8 weeks to get the results.  After I'd put the box into the mail, I began second guessing myself.  Maybe I didn't get enough spit in there.  Maybe I didn't tighten the lid down well enough.  Did that stabilizing fluid really release into the spit?  What if the box comes open and my tube falls out!  They're supposed to send me a notification when they receive my sample, and I'll probably fret until it arrives.

Next on the agenda was to put mulch down in my flower beds.   I had two bags left over from last year, so I knew it wouldn't be enough to do the whole bed, but I figured I'd put down what I have.  I got the moss roses done,

and this much of the other bed before I ran out.  I'll get some more sometime this week. 

Everything has perked up over the last few days, now that they're getting over their transplant shock.  My moss roses are starting to bloom,

And look!  I've got things coming up in my wildflower bed!

The fun part is you never know what is going to grow.  Oh, they have the varieties listed on the packet, but I never read that, so I don't know what I'm going to get.

My Fuchsias are opening.

The purple and red blooms remind me of that red hat poem. 

My poor, pathetic looking gardenia is trying to put out new leaves.

But this...this move broke the cat's heart.

She had taken to sleeping on that bottom shelf.  I'd even moved the plants off so she'd have more room, but the day finally came when I moved the stand and its resident plants back outside.   Why yes, that IS a bud on one of my Christmas cacti.  It's why I call it a Whatever Cactus.

Finally, I got a new bath towel from Wal-Mart.

I like to wrap myself in the towel and dry with the ends.  It's so hard to find towels without that hard, rough strip in them.   I finally found one.  It doesn't exactly match my bathroom, but I don't care. 

Now, I want to go take a bath, just so I can dry with it. 

I'm So Excited!

There I was at work, just a working away, when a coworker approached me.

"Becky, you got a jusbaray I can borrow?"

Me:  "A what?"

Coworker:  "A jusbaray."

Me:  "A jusbaray?"

Coworker:  "Yeah."

Me:  "I don't know what that is."

Coworker:  "I need to take that a-loose"  *pointing to the large bolt on machine he was moving* "and I didn't bring one with me."

Me:  "Oh!  An adjustable wrench!"

Coworker:  "Yeah, that's what I said, a jusbaray." 

Me:  "No, I don't have one of those."  Or hope for the future.



Yesterday, my old supervisor stopped by to speak to me.  He asked how New Supervisor was doing in his new department.  I said, "I see him walking down the aisle from time to time, but he doesn't stop to talk to us like you used to." 

Old Supervisor said, "Maybe he's scared.  You should go speak to him first, then he'll talk to you." 

I said, "I'll just climb on top of that table there, and jump off and tackle him.  That ought to break the ice." 

Don't ask.  Even I don't know where I come up with these things.  Sleep deprivation.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

And now for something really exciting.  Look what came in the mail today!

Ancestry had them on sale for 40% off, so I ordered one.  It says not to eat or drink before spitting in the tube, so I'm just going to wait and do it first thing Saturday morning, since we aren't working.  (It also said not to smoke or chew gum, but I don't do those anyway.)  It'll be interesting to see if my DNA corroborates what I've been finding on the site.

Back To Work

Good grief people!  I'm gone one day and you let the place turn in to a disaster area!

Want to hear something funny? 

I was driving to work this morning, and as I was approaching the plant, I thought, "Hmmm, I've been off a day.  I wonder what they've changed." 

They're always changing stuff up there, and usually the first we hear about it is when we are getting in trouble for violating a rule they added and didn't tell anyone about. More than once, I've gone to work after a day off and found they'd changed our working hours, and didn't bother to tell me.  Not real big on communication, my workplace is. 

Where was I?  Oh, yeah, driving to work...wondering what they'd changed...

When I got there, I quickly found out what they changed while I was off.  My supervisor.  OK, not so quickly.  It took me about three hours to look around and ask, "Where is Supervisor?" 

"Oh, they moved him to a different area."  All right, then...  I don't know who my supervisor is at the moment.  I guess we'll find out.

I have AT&T for my phone.  I've had them for years, and until I moved, I had my internet with them, too.  In all these years, I've never had any problems with them.  Here lately, the last few months, I've been having trouble logging in to my account to pay my bill.  I keep getting this message:

I've tried my phone app.  I've tried logging in on the computer -- with four different browsers.  I keep getting the same message.  It usually takes 15 -20 log in attempts before I can finally get in to my account.

It's very frustrating.  It's almost like they don't want me to pay my bill. 

I finally got fed up and contacted customer service, sending them the above screen shot and explaining the problem.  Well, they contacted me back, and instead of saying they will fix the problem, they just linked me to an article explaining different ways I can pay my bill. 

In other words, they gave me a giant middle finger, and blew me off. 

That's some mighty poor customer service, there Ma Bell. 

I finally made it into the site at 3:30 ish this morning and was able to pay my bill, but if this continues, I'll be looking for another phone company post haste, especially now that I know what they think of me. 

We Have Foliage!

At last, my long awaited day off finally arrived.  First thing on the agenda was to get my CCP renewed.  So dressed I get and off to Batesville I go.  They do things differently now -- and for the better as far as I'm concerned.  Those getting gun permits sign in at their own window, and don't have to wait with all the driver's license people.   This made things go a whole lot faster than the first time around, and since mine was a renewal, I was able to get it the same day.  I still had to get fingerprinted, though, and go through another background check.

Never had to go through all that to get birth control.

Nevertheless, I was in and out by 8:30 with a shiny new CCP in my pocket.  Next stop, Lowe's.  As I whizzed through the doors and made a bee-line for the garden center, I thought briefly that I should check out the building supplies, but I didn't.  Straight to the plants I went.

I wandered around looking for moss roses, but didn't find any.  I also wandered around looking for pentas, but didn't find any of those, either.  What I did find were these verbinas, in red

and in purple.

I also picked up a 6 pack of zinnias,

and two of these four marigolds.

The final thing I picked up at Lowe's was this Fuchsia.

It's something that is new to me, but the tag said they're irresistible to butterflies and hummingbirds.  I thought I'd give it a try.

Once I'd checked out with my purchases, it was on to Wal-mart where I bought the other two marigolds pictured above, and finally found some moss roses.

Moss roses must be really popular this year.  The local Wal-mart had only a few left, and so did the Batesville Wal-mart.  I mean, like only three or four.  I see one light pink bloom.  I hope a couple of them are yellow, too.

After leaving Wal-mart, I headed home where I got the plants safely nestled into their beds.

The zinnias look kind of pathetic right now, but they'll soon take off.

I still need to get the mulch down, but I'll do that later.

I put the Fuchsia in a pot and put it in the back yard, since it's a part-sun plant. 

The good news is, my gardenia is putting out new leaves.  I was worried that the cold had killed it, but it appears to have survived.  Next challenge-- surviving a blistering Southern summer.

Back last fall, I cut my roses back pretty hard.  I was worried for a bit that I'd pruned them too much, but they are bushier than ever.

I did all this and was done by noon.  I spent the rest of the afternoon binge watching ER on Hulu and running out to look at my new plants.

Oh, and crying because I have to go back to work tomorrow, but I prefer not to talk about that.

Next up on the agenda:  getting all that furniture pulled out from the wall so I can get my cable boxes unhooked, and I'm going to get my cable cut off.  I'll probably add live TV to my Hulu subscription and I might subscribe to Sling-- to get my sports channels. 

Sigh, if only they'd let you cut off your service online instead of by phone, I'd have done it years ago. 

Earth Day 2018

Genesis 1 

 ¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

²  Now the earth was formless
and empty, darkness was over the surface of  the deep, and the Spirit of
 God was hovering over the waters.

 ³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
 
 ⁶ And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” ⁷ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. ⁸ God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

 ⁹ And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

    ¹¹  Then God said, “Let
the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants  and trees on the land
that bear fruit with seed in it, according to  their various kinds.” And
 it was so. ¹²  The land
produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their  kinds and
trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.  And God
saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

 ¹⁴  And God said, “Let there
 be lights in the vault of the sky to separate  the day from the night,
and let them serve as signs to mark sacred  times, and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶
  God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the
 lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷ God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, ¹⁸ to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

 ²⁰ And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” ²¹
  So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing
with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to
their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw
that it was good. ²² God
blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the
 water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

 ²⁴  And God said, “Let the
land produce living creatures according to their  kinds: the livestock,
the creatures that move along the ground, and the  wild animals, each
according to its kind.” And it was so. ²⁵
  God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock
according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the
ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
    ²⁶  Then God said, “Let
us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so  that they may rule
over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky,  over the livestock
and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”


 ²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image,  in the image of God he created them;
   male and female he created them.

 ²⁸  God blessed them and
said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number;  fill the earth and
subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the  birds in the sky and
over every living creature that moves on the  ground.”

    ²⁹ Then God  said, “I
give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole  earth and
every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours  for food.
 ³⁰ And to all the  beasts of
 the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures  that move
 along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in  it—I give
every green plant for food.” And it was so.

    ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Should I Or Shouldn't I?

Back in January, I put in for a vacation day for Monday.  This coming Monday, that is.  April 23. 

I thought it'd be a good day to plant my flower beds -- late enough to be past the danger of frost, but early enough to be not too hot.   Then I remembered I need to get my CCP renewed this year, too.  Since I'm going to Batesville anyway, I'll just stop by the Highway Patrol office and get that done while I'm there.

Once we'd switched to the new schedule at work, I thought, "Hey, I'll just not volunteer for overtime that Saturday and have a three day weekend.  Cool!"  That had been the plan all along.  The plan hit a little snag yesterday morning when I opened my iPay app and saw my paycheck -- my 72 hour pay check.  If I take Saturday off, it'll only be a 60 hour paycheck. 

Hmmm, that's a lot of money to pass up just to have a day off.  I went back and forth all day, hemming and hawing.  Should I or shouldn't I take the day off?

One minute, I'd decide I'm going to work....but it'd be nice to have a day off.  So I decided I'm going to take the day off...but all that extra money will be so nice.  No, I'm going to work!  On the other hand...In the end, having an extra day off won out, so I'm home today.  And it feels weird to be not working.   Good, but weird. 

So what did I do on my day off?  I'll tell you.

First thing I did was to sleep until 5:00 AM.  Now, I know that doesn't sound like much to you, but when you're used to getting up at 3:00 AM, it is.  Then I did a few mundane chores like laundry and house cleaning -- and it was so nice not to have to rush through them.

Speaking of rushing, since they've made Fridays mandatory, they're letting us off at 3:00 PM instead of 5:00 PM.  It's so nice to get off and drive leisurely to the bank to pay my house note instead of flying down the road at breakneck speed to try to get there before they lock the doors.  It was so nice yesterday to drive leisurely into town to find a notary for my CCP forms instead of flying down the road at breakneck speed...BTW, they don't notarize things at the court house any more.  The county clerk referred me to the library, but their notary wasn't there that day.  The library referred me to a lawyer's office, and I was finally able to get my papers notarized.  I was beginning to think I wasn't supposed to get my CCP renewed.  Then I drove leisurely to Wal-mart and did my shopping, and drove leisurely back home, and spent a leisurely evening watching TV.

Anyway, back to today.

As soon as the sun came up, and it warmed up enough, I planted parts of my flower bed.  I'd bought these moss roses last week,

but held off on planting them.  Good thing, because when I woke up Monday, there was ice on the garbage can lid when I took out my trash.   I kept saying I'd plant them one evening when I got home, but I never did.  This morning, I finally got them into the ground.

The ones I got appear to be orange and pink, so I only bought one six pack.  I left space to put six more.

When I go up to Batesville Monday, I'm going to look at Lowe's and the Wal-mart up there to see if I can find some yellow ones.  And some I'm sure are pink.  That'll be it for this little bed.  Oh, and I put some black plastic border on the back side to try to keep the dirt from splashing up onto the porch  every time it rains.

I can be on the stubborn side sometimes.  If you know me at all, this comes as no surprise to you.  I prefer to think of myself as tenacious.  It's a nicer way of saying I can be on the stubborn side sometimes.  Case in point, I cannot grow anything from seed, but I keep trying.  This year is no different.  Once I'd gotten my moss roses into the ground, I clawed up a section of my big bed and spread some wildflower seeds in it.  It would seem I just never learn.

We'll see if anything comes up.

The other half of the bed I'll plant Monday, depending on what I find at Lowe's.  I don't have a set plan.  I'm just going to see what appeals to me.  I'll let you know what I get.

The last thing I planted was this chupacabra.

I put it into a hanging pot and hung it where my hummingbird feeder used to be.

I moved the feeder to a hook on the other side of the car port.  Hopefully, the birds will still feed from it. 

While I was out puttering, I noticed the first bloom on my roses.

I'd cut them back pretty hard last fall, so I wasn't expecting much, but the plant is absolutely covered in buds.  It should be a riot of color in a few weeks. 

And my little mystery plant has a bud. 

Finally, after I'd done all that I was going to do today, and was sitting inside watching TV, my doorbell rang.  It was the guy who owns the house next door.  He doesn't live there, but he owns it and rents it out.  He was asking me if he could put a tomato plot in on the East side of my shed.  I told him he could -- on the condition he slip me a tomato or two from time to time. 

I loves me some tomato sandwiches. 

Patriot's Day

Concord Hymn

Ralph Waldo Emerson 

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

   Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood

   And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe long since in silence slept;

   Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;

And Time the ruined bridge has swept

   Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,

   We set today a votive stone;

That memory may their deed redeem,

   When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare

   To die, and leave their children free,

Bid Time and Nature gently spare

   The shaft we raise to them and thee.

Dear CoWorker

I see you want to participate in that idiotic fad of wearing your pants down below your butt.  I don't personally agree with it, but hey, you have the right to look like a retard if you want to.

Just do the rest of us one small favor and wear the underwear without the holes in them, OK? 

Thank you.

That is all.

Monday Mayhem

No, not today.  Yesterday.

Yesterday was the Mondayest Monday that ever Mondayed.

It was more than chaotic.  It was down right mayhemic.

They say Mayhem is everywhere.

It wasn't.  All the mayhem in all the world was gathered right there in the plant where I work.  Yay...

As if that weren't enough, I forgot my lunch.  Oh, I remembered to take my lunch box, I just forgot to put my lunch into it.  And to add insult to injury, my red headed aunt -- you know, Aunt Flo -- whom I have not seen in nearly two years, decided to make a surprise visit.  Double yay...

I had so many things I was going to do when I got off work, but I didn't do any of them.  I just sat.  In fact, it's a good thing I wrote Monday's post Sunday and pre-scheduled it, or you might not have gotten that, either.

I got up this morning hoping today would be better.  It was marginally better  -- only enough to downgrade from mayhemic to chaotic. 

In response, I've developed the Gunstream Workplace Stress Scale.  It is as follows:

Level 1 -- Calm
Level 2 -- Busy
Level 3 -- Hectic
Level 4 -- Frantic
Level 5 -- Chaotic
Level 6 -- Mayhemic

Sometime in the near future, I'm going to standardize the measures, but for now, I'm going to bed. 

Time Marches On

Time marches on, but for me, the search for clocks has finally come to an end.  Well, mostly.  I still need to get one for Cody's room, but it can wait.

Back when I bought the rooster clock for my living room,

I also ordered this one.

I bought it for my bedroom, but when I got it hung, I found it didn't look as good as I'd thought it would.  It was too light, and disappeared into the walls.  I wanted something that would pop a bit more. 

Since the frame kind of looked like distressed wood and reminded me a bit of a porthole, I decided to try it in the bathroom.

It stands out better against the blue walls.  It's a bit big for such a small room, but the more I look at it, the more I like it there.

I really need to get busy decorating those walls.  I'm thinking anchors and ship's wheels and may be ropes and nets and things like that.   Decorating has never been my strong suit. 

Anyway, that left me with a conundrum of what to get for my bedroom.  I'd found a lighthouse clock on Amazon that I really liked, but the reviews weren't that good.  You have to sift through the planted reviews to find the real ones.  Upon doing that, I decided the price was too high for the quality of clock I would be getting. 

Back to searching...

Then I found it.  The perfect clock.  I absolutely loved it, even though it was more money that I had wanted to spend.  I took a bit of financial advise, put the clock into my shopping cart, and waited 10 days.  I went back and looked at it again, and loved it even more than the first time. 

It arrived Friday, and I love it even more in person than I do on the website.

It fits perfectly with the theme I'm going for in my bedroom, and even matches my curtains.  And it has a pendulum!  I love clocks with pendulums!  Unlike pits with pendulums.

If you get that, we can be friends.  If you don't, we can still be friends, but you will be confused a lot. 

It's still in its new phase, and I keep running in to look at it. 

Now, I just need to get stuff hung on the rest of the walls...Seems to be a recurring theme, doesn't it? 

Chaos, Take Two

I used to like working C shift.

I used to really like working C shift.  It was so calm, so relaxed, and so stress-free, it was almost like having a day off, even though I was at work.

These last couple of weeks, however, it's been chaotic.  It's been so chaotic I've just about decided to start declining the overtime.  I'm hearing that Fridays are going to be mandatory for the next several weeks anyway, so I'll just have to see about Saturdays.

I know I need the money, but I need the sanity even more. 

In the meantime, let me introduce you to my new favorite song:

Whiskers On Wednesday

For today's Whiskers On Wednesday, I present to you my very dirty kitty with her very dirty whiskers.

As cats age, they tend to become less diligent in their personal grooming.  I first noticed it about a year ago, when she developed this perpetually dirty spot in the middle of her chest.  I suspect it was from her folding her paws underneath her as she dozed. 

I tried to use a dry type shampoo, but it just didn't cut it.  I had to start bathing her, which she does not like. 

Soon, I began to hear a clicking sound as she walked, because they also stop scratching and their claws grow long.  I had to start trimming them, which she does not like. 

And her fur is matted, which I comb, but can't seem to keep up with, and her feet are dirty and she smells like her litter box. 

But she's still the queen in this house, and she always will be. 

So That's How

Before we get into today's post, I'm sure you will all be happy to know I made it out of the plant with all my belongings intact. 

Now, on to your regularly scheduled blog post...

Here I was, thinking that maybe this weekend, I could get out and start planting some of my flower beds.  Then my sinuses said, "You might want to hold off on that."  Sure enough, when I got home and checked the weather, there is another storm system moving in. 

I used to wonder how our ancestors told the weather without radar and satellites.  The older I get, the more I'm starting to understand.  So, my sinuses told me there is more rain on the way... 

I'm so tired of rain. 

My grass was nearly knee high, so I got out Sunday evening and cut it, even though I had to push my mower through standing water in spots.  It was tough, but the yard looks so much better now.  This afternoon, my neighbor brought me some weed killer, so I sprayed my ditch and all the Creeping Charlie around my shed. 

Then I took a shower and threw my dirty clothes in the trash, instead of the hamper.  Clearly, I need more sleep.

Well, dang.  I had such high hopes for this post, but it has gone downhill pretty quickly.  So, I won't torture you any more.  I'll just leave you with this picture of Beverly and James' new calf. 

And bid you good night. 

Fool Me Twice

There I was at work Saturday, just a working away.  After a long, long work day, it was finally time to go home.  I got all the way out to my car when I realized I'd forgotten my cup.  "Eh, I'll get it Monday, " I thought to myself.  Then I thought better.  No, I'd better go back and get it, or Monday morning, I'll be tearing my hair out looking for it.  Because by then, I will have forgotten.  So I tromped all the way back across the parking lot and into the plant and got my cup, which was right where I'd left it.

There I was at work today, just a working away.  After a long, long work day, it was finally time to go home.  I got halfway across the parking lot when I thought, "My tool bag feels awfully light.  I'd better check and make sure all my tools are in it."  I started to swing said bag around to check for my tools, and that's when I realized my tool bag wasn't even on my shoulder.  "I'd better go back and get that," I thought to myself, "Or I won't have any tools left tomorrow!"  So, I tromped all the way back across the parking lot and into the plant and got my tool bag, which was right where I'd left it.

You know, they say forgetfulness is a sign of intelligence.  If that's true, I must be the smartest person on the planet.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Well, the powers that be have decided to scrap the whole brazer training program, and train new brazers on the job.  That's the way we used to do it in the Old Skool Way.  They'd pair a new brazer with an experienced one, and that's how we learned to braze.  I still remember when I learned.  The first thing I ever brazed was "line 3's next order and hurry up, they're waiting on it."

Friday, they brought me someone to train.  I thought she was doing OK, but her regular group leader said she's a trouble maker.  She can't wait to get that woman off her line.  I knew already that I didn't like her, even though there was nothing I could put my finger on.  I thought it was just me, because I can't get along with anyone except the ones who live in my computer.  Then, I saw what her group leader was talking about.  See, C shift gets a 10 minute break at 2:30.  A shift doesn't.  Well, someone had told the C shift people that were working on my line not to take their break.  Most of them just dealt with it, but this chick got so irate about getting "screwed out of her break" she went upstairs.

Now, for those of you who don't work there, "upstairs" is where all the production managers' offices are.  To go upstairs means you are going to complain to the boss about something.  To take someone upstairs means you are being dragged into the boss's office.  To go upstairs on someone means you're going to tattle to the boss on them.

Anyway, this chick went upstairs.  When she got back over to the line, she was still pitching such a fit I told her to go on and take a break.  I'd cover for her until she got back.  Even after that, she was still carrying on so much that her group leader, who was standing right there, said, "What are you still fussing for?  She said she'd cover for you!  Go take your &%^#* break!"  Even after she got back, she was still complaining about it.  I was good.  I kept my mouth shut, but I was thinking, "Gee, I've been working 12 hour shifts for years, and I've never gotten a break -- until C shift started getting them. 

I was hoping they wouldn't send her back to me Saturday, and they didn't.  They had her working on her regular line.  The one they sent me Saturday was one of those who just didn't want to listen to anything.  She acted like she already knew anything, so I just stepped back and let her have at it.

Then I had to step in and fix all the stuff she burned up.  But that's how it goes sometimes.

Enough about work...I keep saying I don't want to become that cranky old lady who complains about everything, but I'm finding that's exactly who I am these days.  I'll leave you with this.

I've always suspected I had some Scottish ancestry in my.  Now that my suspicions have been confirmed, this song means more to me than it ever did.



BTW, I looked up one of my clans:  Clan MacLeod.  Their clan motto is Hold Fast.  Pretty fitting for a sailor, don't you think?

The Best Friends

I have the best friends, I'm telling ya.  How did I get to be so lucky? 

See, a few weeks ago, someone in one of my Texas groups on Facebook posted this photo: 

Immediately, I put out a call to my Texas friends, and sure as shooting, one of them answered!

They arrived yesterday, but by the time I got done squeeing, it was too late to blog.  Well, too late for me, that is. 

Unfortunately, the little Texas tray was broken. 

I tried to glue it, but you can still tell where it was broken.  Maybe I can match the paint once the glue dries and it won't be so obvious.  The good news is, since Cyndye shipped it Priority Mail, it was insured.  I filed a claim, but haven't heard back yet.  Hopefully, they'll accept my claim and refund the value of the piece. 

Even so, if my Texas friend just happens -- not make a special trip or anything, but just happens to be back in Hobby Lobby someday, and just happens to see another tray, and just happens to pick it up and send it to me -- I'll be sure to reimburse you, plus postage this time. 

Now I just need to figure out where to hang them.

Lookit!  I think I found myself in a previous life!

That's about all I've got for today. 

I'd planned on a nice, long, interesting post, but I'm so sleepy I can't remember what it was.  Someday soon, the blog will return to its former glory. 


Soon, but not today.